Property tax will not be levied as per collector rates: Sukhbir

Chandigarh: Faced with growing criticism over property tax, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said property tax would not be charged as per collector rates.“The state government is reviewing the issue and planning

“The state government is reviewing the issue and planning to make a system in which property tax will not be charged as per collector rates,” he told reporters here. Badal said directions have been issued to all Deputy Commissioners to revise collector rates keeping in mind slowdown in the real estate business.

The imposition of property tax is considered as one of the major reasons behind the poor showing of the SAD-BJP alliance in Punjab in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls. The Punjab government had imposed property tax last year with effect from April 1, 2013, following which the people have to pay levy on commercial and residential properties, including vacant plots.

Sukhbir said his Shiromani Akali Dal was committed to study the aspirations of people and adopt policies as per their expectations.

He said the party was receiving good feedback in the ongoing district-wise meetings, and would henceforth hold such meetings quarterly. SAD is holding three-day Lok Sabha election results review meetings and getting feedback from district level party office-bearers.

Meanwhile, stressing the need of drug de-addiction, the Deputy CM said the Punjab government would allocate a special budget for the purpose.

He said the government had initiated a war against drugs and seized large quantity of drugs, besides sending a number of drug peddlers behind bars during its seven-year rule. Sukhbir accused a section of media and opposition parties of giving a political colour to the fight against drugs. He held a meeting with district units of Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar and Tarn Taran.